Monoalkyltin trihalides or mixtures of monoalkyltin trihalides and dialkyltin dihalides, such as monoalkyltin trichlorides of the formula RSnCl3 or dialkyltin dichlorides of the formula R2SnCl2 (R being CnH2n+1 where n≧1, particularly methyl-, butyl- and octyltin trichloride), for example, are industrially important as intermediates for PVC stabilizers, glass coating chemicals, catalysts, etc.
Trialkyltin compounds are known to be toxic compounds. The toxicity of tin compounds may be linked to the presence of mono-, di- and tri-alkyltin compounds, particularly where toxicity increases with increased alkyl groups. Thus, toxicity increases from mono-, to di- to tri-alkyltin compounds. Therefore, it is desired to develop monoalkyltin compounds, with low levels of di- and tri-alkyltin compounds, in order to avoid or minimize toxicity issues.
Conventional methods of producing monoalkyltin trihalides suffer from a number of drawbacks, such as requiring expensive catalysts (e.g., precious metal catalysts) or high reaction temperatures, attaining low yields of monoalkyltin trihalides and/or high yields of by-products, such as trialkyltin compounds, or requiring multiple step processes, which produce monoalkyltin trihalide as a by-product instead of as the primary product.